1. Technical Field
The technical field relates to an imaging apparatus capable of continuously recording (continuous shooting) still images, and more particularly to the imaging apparatus capable of changing a shooting interval during the continuous shooting.
2. Related Art
Imaging apparatus such as a digital camera that can record still image continuously (continuous shoot) while a release button is being pressed down is known. JP2000-10162A discloses an imaging apparatus that enables such continuous shooting. JP2000-10162A particularly discloses the imaging apparatus capable of changing a shooting interval during the continuous shooting according to a motion of a subject. This imaging apparatus has an imaging unit configured to capture a subject to output image information, a subject speed detector configured to detect a moving speed of the subject in a shooting region based on the image information output from the imaging unit, and a continuous shooting controller configured to control a capturing interval (continuous shooting interval) in the continuous shooting according to the moving speed of the subject detected by the subject speed detector. With this configuration, for example, a release interval is shortened when a motion of a subject is fast, whereas the release interval is lengthened when the motion of the subject is slow. This arrangement allows a photo opportunity to be prevented from being missed according to the motion of the subject, and allows an opportunity for taking continuous shots which have less difference in the subject to be reduced in the continuous shooting operation.
On the other hand, a user can set a shutter sound to ON/OFF at the time of pressing down a release button in some of conventional digital cameras. For example, JP2000-307902A, discloses an imaging apparatus that can emit a pseudo shutter sound at the time of performing a shooting operation according to pressing-down of a release button.
When the above continuous shooting at the variable shooting interval is performed in a case where the shutter sound in the imaging apparatus is set to OFF, a user hardly recognizes a timing at which the shooting operation is performed because the shutter sound is not emitted. For this reason, it is difficult to determine a field angle during the continuous shooting, and thus preferable continuous images cannot be shot, thereby deteriorating user's convenience at the time of the continuous shooting.